Honey Beer Mustard? Yes - That Just Happened!

Are you ready for some robust flavor from some homemade mustard? What if it was made with BEER? Now we're talking!

It seems that just about very one has a favorite type of mustard. Some people may enjoy a splash of the well known bright yellow variety squirted across a steamed hot dog served up at their local ball park. Other's may lean towards a mustard with a bit more kick! So here's what I did in the name of foodie science. I decided to combine mustard.... with... wait for it... BEER and HONEY!

Mustard... Why make your own?

I wrote a basic mustard making post a while back and quickly decided that my mustard was boring! So, I started making new batches. I adjusted some things, tweaked the ingredients, and extended the soak time. In fact - I've made about four batches of mustard so far with more variations planned. What I've discovered is

What you need is a bunch of mustard seeds and a liquid or liquids. This article covers my continuing mustard making adventures. Your mustard journey could start with a honey mustard included with a combo meal when you were ten years old. Or, the door of mustard appreciation could have happened when you take a bite into a specialty sandwich that included something other than the bright yellow standard.

For the purposes of this article let me state that you can make mustard at home using three different methods. First; you can start with some store bought yellow mustard and add some extra stuff for a flavored concoction - which is awesome and easy. Second method; you can grab a can of mustard powder - add some moisture, mix, and flavor. And finally - the Third method - and the reason for this post, you can start with real mustard seeds!

I say skip the first two for now and lets head right towards working with seeds! I guess this would be a great place for some additional information also known as mustard trivia!

ABOVE PHOTO: FLICKR / Stephen Depolo

Mustard Trivia!

First let me give a shout out to the National Mustard Museum and the USDA. Yep! Us too! We were pretty excited to find out that there's actually a National Mustard Museum and it is one of the largest tourist draws in the state of Wisconsin!

The National Mustard Museum features over 5,676 mustards from all 50 states and more than 70 countries

According to the USDA there are three types of mustard seeds - yellow, brown and oriental. Others will argue that there are many more variations due to shades of color, etc, etc, etc. Which sounds a lot like overthinking things. On the other hand - slight variations in seeds could also equal variations in flavor. But, for this article - there are three types of mustard seeds.

Yellow is considered the mildest while brown and oriental have a bit more kick!

According to the USDA mustard in the United States is grown in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington.

Mustard sales are $300 million annually.

French’s is the top brand with a third of the market. Private labels are second with around 20%. Kraft’s Grey Poupon has 15% for third place.

Modern day Dijon mustard is probably not from Dijon! SAY WHAT? That's a different article.

Store bought yellow mustard is not really... yellow! Yellow mustard is actually kind of light yellow or brownish, maybe a pasty white with a yellow tint. You can thank the added turmeric for the bright color.

Chances are that if your spouse says "Use a napkin, you'll spill mustard on your new shirt." Then there's a 99% chance you'll drip mustard all over your clean shirt seconds before you meet the President, Prime Minister, or Pope.

Let's get things going! In order to make your own mustard from mustard seeds you need some... mustard seeds. And you will need some liquid. Most people use a combination of vinegar and water. Here's where you can begin to play with things. Beer can be one of your liquid selections!

I started this process with the idea of just making a flavor packed mustard with a touch of beer flavor. The question quickly came up about different types of beer.

There are slight variations between several beers but the only noticeable two are between an amber beer and a dark beer. The mustard flavor, and the vinegar, really seem to dominate the taste spectrum. The choice of beer does change a little bit between choices of ale but I doubt you could really tell the difference between batches.

What I'm saying is your $8 stout craft beer will probably yeild the same results as a $2 stout from the corner market - flavor wise. The same can be said between a high dollar craft beer and some ice cold Bud or Pabst Blue Ribbon.

ABOVE PHOTO: FLICKR / Quinn Dombrowski

Mixing Ratio - Wing it!

Seeds with vinegar and a liquid - in this case - beer! - Let's say you have a bunch of seeds. Now, combine equal portions of Apple Cider Vinegar and your choice of beer. Mix enough to cover the seeds in a non-reactive bowl.

Here's the Four basic steps: They are the same if you are using water, beer, wine, etc as your liquids.

Step 1 - SOAK

Soak the seeds, covered in a glass bowl in the fridge, for two - three days. Check every day or so, remix, stir, and add a touch more liquid if needed.

Step 2 - BLEND

Puree in a blender or food processor. You can use a food processor or a blender to turn your soaked seeds into a spreadable mustard. A light touch of the start button produces a chunky style mustard. Keep things going and the results are a creamier style mixture.

You can hold a spoonfull or two (or even more) of the soaked whole seeds to the side when you mix. Add then add them in after you blend, stir, and you'll have a very tasty and textured mix!

Step 3 - FLAVOR

Now's the time to add additional flavors! After the soak, and the blend, you can now start playing around with additional ingredients. How about Tennessee Whiskey, Kentucky bourbon, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, hot sauce, and more. Simply add some desired ingredients a little bit at a time.

As I stated in my first article about making homemade mustard - that first taste might bring tears to your eyes! Allow the mustard to chill, covered, for a while in the fridge, and mellow a bit! Allow for some down time - you're mustard needs a break!

Kent Whitaker, also known as "The Deck Chef," is a culinary writer and cookbook author. He's also penned Young Reader and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill.